August 9, 2019

Productivity decline linked to poor employee financial wellness

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace

Almost all (98 percent) employers believe that their employees’ financial wellness has a direct impact on productivity and their business performance – especially concerning employee productivity (67 percent) and engagement (62 percent). This is according to the Future of Pay research study (registration) by technology firm ADP, which surveyed 4,000 employees and 2,900 businesses to explore workers’ perceptions and attitudes towards traditional and emerging pay methods to address some of the biggest human capital management concerns. More →

August 9, 2019

Friday, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with staring out of the window

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Knowledge, Lighting, Wellbeing, Workplace design

There is or was a running joke within IBM that their buildings don’t have windows, they have outside awareness ports. It’s an idea that not only reflects the culture of long hours spent staring at computer screens – something you don’t have to work for Big Blue to be aware of – but also one that acknowledges our need to be aware of the wider world when we are at work. Our gut instinct tells us that we are better off either outdoors or looking at it. More →

August 9, 2019

Helsinki tops global rankings for work-life balance

by Mark Eltringham • Cities, News, Wellbeing

Helsinki is the world’s best city for work-life balance according to a new study from technology business Kisi which compares data on a range of factors such as “livability”, work intensity, institutional support, equality and legislation to rank cities. Helsinki, Munich, and Oslo are the three best ranked cities while the cities deemed as having the worst work-life balance were Tokyo, Singapore, and Washington DC. Using data relating to work intensity, social wellbeing, and livability to analyse the interplay between work and life, the index claims to assess how successful residents are at achieving a healthy work-life balance in 40 cities around the world. More →

August 8, 2019

Incoming BCO President commits to focus on wellbeing

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Wellbeing

Paul Patenall, Projects Director at U+I, has been elected as President of the British Council for Offices (BCO) and will focus on the positive impact the industry can have on wellbeing. Patenall set out his vision as Chair of this year’s BCO Conference, held in Copenhagen. The event explored the Danish concept of Arbejdsglæde, which is based on a balanced and considerate approach to work. The concept informs the city’s workplaces, which are renowned for their bold designs, intelligent use of natural light and space and for encouraging occupants to stay active throughout the day. More →

August 7, 2019

Some uncomfortable truths about sitting down at work ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The problem with the modish idea of fake news is that we’re not very good at spotting it. As with our driving, each of us possesses an unwarranted faith in our own abilities coupled with dismay at those of other people, unaware of just how much our own biases and fixed opinions distort the way we perceive information. It’s one of those things we need to be on the lookout for, especially if we are pronouncing on complex issues.

August 7, 2019

One in ten firms sued for business rates arrears

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Around one in ten businesses in England were sued by their local authorities over the past year for failing to pay rising business rates, new data suggests. According to real estate consultancy Altus Group, around 750 businesses were sued each working day. The real estate group said the figures highlight the cost pressures on UK businesses, as the occupies of around 190,000 commercial properties came to court over the non-payment of rates during the last financial year. The report claims that the occupiers and owners of offices, shops, pubs and restaurants have called for cuts to business rates. According to Altus Group, the standard rate of tax, which applies to all medium and large premises in England with a rateable value of more than £51,000, rose by 2.4 percent on 1 April 2019. More →

August 7, 2019

Flexible working has increased dramatically in last two decades

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

The proportion of people with some form of flexible working has increased dramatically in the last two decades. That is according to an analysis of working trends by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). According to the 1999 Labour Force Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the percentage of people working flexible hours in the UK was 9.5 percent at that time. Recent statistics from CIPD, however, show that this number has drastically increased, with 54 percent of workers currently having the option of some form of flexibility in their time and place of work. More →

August 6, 2019

School holidays signal stress for home-workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

For many working parents the summer school holidays can be a cause of stress instead of a time for rest and relaxation.With children no longer occupied at school, many parents choose to work from home to juggle both work and childcare, but productivity can suffer with family, pets and noisy household appliances found to be the main distractions for home workers. The 2019 Global Workspace Survey, conducted by IWG on 2000 UK respondents, claims that interruptions from children or other family members is the number one obstacle being faced by professionals who take advantage of home working. More →

August 6, 2019

Stress most prevalent among health and social workers

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Health and social care are the most stressful industries to work in, according to an analysis by The Office Group (TOG), which claims that health and social workers tend to work longer hours and report more cases of work-related stress, depression and anxiety than staff in other sectors. TOG calculated an overall stress score for 12 industries across the UK, using public data on the number of self-reported cases; average full-time hours; number of days lost to self-reported cases; and the likelihood of future automation. A recent report from the CIPD also highlighted how stress is now a fact of life for most workers. More →

August 2, 2019

Maternity leave progressing around the world

by Jayne Smith • News

With studies claiming almost as many women with children (74.1 percent) participated in the labour force as women without, in 2014, women who are juggling careers and motherhood benefit from flexibility at work the most. Recent research claims women account for 40 percent or more of the total labour force in several countries, making flexible working hours, extended maternity leave, breastfeeding rooms, free education and free healthcare just a few of the ways that some countries build the best working environments for mothers. More →

August 1, 2019

The raging open plan debate should not lead us to make bad choices

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

The debate about open plan versus enclosed offices rages on. But the real debate is not quite so binary, it’s not black or white, and it’s not a dichotomy as it is so often presented. Office occupants clearly have different workplace preferences from the wide range of design solutions that are now available. The alternative to the open plan is not necessarily the cellular office. So, we need to understand what drives individual preferences. Is it factors like personality, personalisation, flexibility, sense of belonging and familiarity that affect where people prefer to work? Or is there more to it? More →